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prayers" is the stirring into action in consciousness this inner substance and concentrating the mind upon it as the real possession. Then "they did eat their food with gladness, and singleness of heart.” All who have attained this realization of the inner life will testify to the gladness with which it is appropriated in the consciousness. All outward pleasures pale into moonshine when this inner light of the Holy Spirit begins to shed its rays in the heart.

The "gate of the temple which is called Beautiful" is Spiritual Understanding. This gate opens when we pray and praise. Among the twelve faculties of the mind, as typified by the twelve sons of Jacob, it is Judah. When he was born, Leah said, "Now will I praise the Lord." “Peter and John went up into the temple at the hour of prayer." Some people think that the understanding of the inner life can be attained without prayer, but they are mistaken. All who have reached heights in things spiritual have been noted for their devotions. Jesus was a striking illustration of this. He spent whole nights in prayer, and he seemed to be asking the Father and thanking him in almost the same breath on every occasion where there was a great work done or a notable truth expounded.

The man, lame from his birth, who lay at the gate Beautiful asking alms, is the I Am who has not affirmed his spiritual strength through the living Christ. John is Love, and Peter is Faith. These two may be present in the consciousness, and the fulfillment of the Divine Law still be lacking. This is because the I Am asks alms, that is, there is that reaching out for that which is within. People expect God to give them something out of heaven as if he were far away. The command is, "Look on us." Faith is Spirit, and always right at hand. Love is the very substance of your being. Look upon them - that is, center your

attention, concentrate your mind upon these essentials of the spiritual man, manifest the Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and you will make connections between the within and without of Understanding. Your ankle

bones will receive strength.

"And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong." A man's acts are associated with his name, and a quality, peculiar to him, always accompanies the mention of that name. If he has done noble deeds, others do noble deeds when they think of him. If he has been an intellectual genius, his satelites will be found among those who study his works. If he has done miracles in the name of the Most High, "his name through faith in his name will inspire others to do likewise. So we say, "If Jesus Christ of Nazareth demonstrated the power of God and healed the weak in understanding, I also can do the same."

"Ye shall do these and greater."

When Spiritual Understanding is opened and the light of Truth begins to shine in the Temple, there is a stirring up of thoughts, and no little opposition. Thoughts make the temporal man and his world. We are creatures of thought, though we sometimes pride ourselves on Our freedom. The most tenacious thoughts are those based upon religious teaching. A man will suffer more tribulations in defense of his religion than anything else. The religious martyrs of the past stand out as shining examples of what men and women will endure in the name of religion.

When a new relation is revealed to us between man and God, and the priest that ruled as mediator between us and our far-away deity is found to be a superfluity, there is an uproar in consciousness. These thoughts lay hands upon the illumined ones, and cast them into prison, or darkness and bondage.

It is well to be posted about these movements of the mind as it saves much perplexity. While this contention in the thoughts is going on there is sometimes agony and fear. This can be made of non-effect when we are warned in advance. This is the object of the Scriptures. The first question the scribes and Pharisees ask is, 66 By what power or what name have ye

done this?"

That man has originating capacity in religious matters seems beyond the comprehension of the average mind. Awe and mystery have so long been concomitant of spiritual things that the soul quakes in fear whenever there is a thought out of the beaten path. "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country." People will not believe that an ordinary man, whom they have associated with, may be inspired of God; and he must go among strangers before his message will be received.

Some question the truth that comes to us from that kingdom within. We sometimes suppress our Godgiven thoughts, and thus grieve the Spirit. We want some external authority to sanction our teaching, forgetting that every religious doctrine was in its beginning given out by some unauthorized one. Who told Moses to go forth on his mission? The I Am of God. That I Am has been recently manifested again unto us through Jesus. Some have crucified it in their consciousness. It is the very corner stone of the character which many have cast aside. But there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, whereby we must be saved."

When the Spirit of Truth begins to flow in the consciousness, a great cleansing goes on. In Greek mythology this is one of the works of Hercules turning the river through the Augean stables. This great river of Truth makes a clean sweep of the ac

cumulated refuse of generations. Man in his mortal thinking has filled his mind with error after error until his consciousness has not been able to be cognizant of them all at once, and they have settled back into that stored-up memory realm called subconsciousness. When the light of Absolute Truth begins to shine, all these dark corners are illuminated and their falsities exposed.

Man is free to give up his mind to the rule of the Holy Spirit or retain it in whole or in part. We are never forced to be good nor truthful nor holy. We can live on the animal plane or the spiritual as we may choose. "He that is filthy, let him be filthy still." When, however, we have chosen the spiritual, and agreed to give ourselves wholly to the Higher Life, we must not hold back any of our possessions. These possessions are not necessarily lands and money, but all that we count valuable in mind, body and affairs. The true church of Christ is a great school of spiritual discipline, and whoever enters this school must give up the world and all his earthly desires.

There is a lurking belief in the mind that we can join this great school of spiritual development and at the same time retain our hold upon worldly things in a measure. This belief is Ananias-deception. Deception in the mind is a very subtle mortal error and causes the would-be disciple much misery. The best way to handle it is to uncover your whole inner consciousness to the Spirit, and ask to be thoroughly purified and cleansed. It is a very bitter pill to take sometimes, this admission of lying and deception in the mentality. But do not be squeamish; you will find that there are others in your alley who are similarly effected. This liar and deceiver has two sides. in your mind. Outwardly, or in the conscious thought, it is Ananias; in the subconscious thought it appears as Sapphira. Both of these must die before your church or spiritual thoughts will increase in numbers

and power. The best and quickest way to dissolve these liars is to boldly face them up and accuse them of holding back part of the price.

Do not try to excuse yourself in matters that have to do with God. You cannot hide anything from the all-knowing Spirit, and the quicker you confess, put the breath out of the deceiving thought, and bury it out of sight, the better it will be for you and your spiritual development.

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Many conflicts take place in the mind between the old and new lines of thought. The new encroaches upon the old, and occupies its field as teacher and leader. There is reaction again and again, and we sometimes think it would be best to crush out entirely these revolutionary truths which are making such powerful headway in the consciousness. Some people are too cautious to become real Christians. They dare not let go the teachings of their forefathers for fear they may be led into some heresy, and lose their chance of getting into heaven.

But if we give it a chance to express itself we will find, even among our most conservative Pharisee thoughts, a leader who advocates common sense and reason. This is Gamaliel, the doctor of the law," who advocates that Truth be tested by its fruits.

Prejudice and bigotry often blind us to the real merit. There is in everyone that spirit of fairness which will give every idea a chance to prove itself. “If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught; but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it.” This is the conclusion of every well-balanced mind, and we should listen to every doctrine with this good judgment to the front.

But it does not follow that we endorse a doctrine when we are tolerant of it. Listen to the testimony and weigh it as a good judge. If you cannot accept